Conference condemns the decision of the UK government to amend section 17 of the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 to remove the statutory commitment to reach agreement with the European Union to enable unaccompanied child refugees to be re-united with their families. Noting that the new clause 17 only requires a statement of policy rather than an explicit agreement.
Conference re-iterates its opposition to brexit and affirms its belief that all possible steps should be taken to ensure that unaccompanied child refugees can be reunited with their families through agreement between the UK and the EU.
Conference, in recognising the failures of the UK Government on this issue demands the immediate devolution of all powers over refugee resettlement, family re-unification and all powers over asylum to the Scottish parliament to enable Scotland to meet its international obligations.
Conference calls on the Scottish Government to use said powers to develop an asylum system and a refugee policy which includes an automatic right to re-unification for unaccompanied child refugees. To provide ultimate safeguard Conference further calls for the devolution of all powers over citizenship legislation to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament to enable Scotland to create a legislative pathway to citizenship for unaccompanied child refugees upon obtainmenst of their 16th birthday.
Conference also proposes a similar legislative pathway for all refugees living in Scotland.